Back in 2008, my hosting provider deleted all the files for this site when I did not pay the bill on time (I was out of country I think), but with the help of <a href="http://www.archive.org/" target="_blank">Internet Archive</a>, I have been able to recover most of the files for the site, and also copy and paste the blog posts, and most of the comments. This site (pysquared.com) was started in January 2003, right after the death of my even older site (allaboutorange.com). It will be nice to have my personal website up again. For now, a lot of links don't work, and there are missing files everywhere, slowly but surely though, I am finding everything in old backups, etc. Stay tuned.

My Hoi Polloi opensource project is coming along a bit more, we have an SVN repository finally and some new stuff. Check it out.<br />\r\n<a href="http://hoipolloi.googlecode.com/" target="_blank">http://hoipolloi.googlecode.com</a>

I noticed that my old friend Paul Watson (greetz yo) asked in a comment where I was etc. May be an update is due. I moved away from Chiang Mai, Thailand in July 2006 back home to Texas. The past 10 months I have been living in Bullard, TX on my parents ranch while I going to school. Right now I am working in Singapore for 3 months (May 18 - Aug 21). After that I will be living in Longview, TX while studying <a href="http://replay.web.archive.org/20080214212216/http://www.letu.edu/academics/catalog/index.htm?cat_type=tu&cat_year=2006&degree=2246" target="_blank">Computer Science & Engineering Technology</a> at <a href="http://replay.web.archive.org/20080214212216/http://www.letu.edu/" target="_blank">LeTourneau University</a>. I have about 2+ years of school left. After that, who knows! I did pretty well in school this past year, actually better than I ever have. I got a 3.33 the first semester and a 3.8 the second. Going back to school when you are older does make a difference.

I haven't posted in longer than awhile. I am in Singapore again, for 95 days this time (May 18 - Aug 22), so if you need to reach me, I have a cell phone # here (and in Thailand when I go there) and you can email me for it. I haven't taken any photos yet, but I'm sure I'll get around to taking a few funny signs photos while I'm here. Tis good to be back home.

I got a new webhost, so if you find something that isn't working, let me know. I haven't moved mail accounts yet, so if yours isn't working, just be patient, will probably be restored this weekend. In fact, just use the email link over there on the left to let me know you are waiting for me to fix it so i won't get lazy. :P

I wrote a tutorial on using SQLite with Java, check it out <a href="/files/Java/JavaSQLiteExample/">here</a>.\r\n\r\nAlso, i've started uploading a lot of my Java code, so you can see that directory <a href="/files/Java/">here</a> and it will only get bigger over time. The source for the slot machine is there too.

Ok, my first REAL Java Program is complete! It is a Slot Machine game. It is action packed with sounds from Arnold the govenator. And coolest of all, it will save your scores to my server right here on PySquared.com\r\n\r\nSo <a href="/files/JSlots-1.0.zip">download it</a>, And unzip it to a folder somewhere and double click the SlotMachine.jar file (you have to have the JavaVM installed of course). The sound files have to be in the same directory as the SlotMachine.jar file for them to play.\r\n\r\nThen you can play and checkout the <a href="/jslots.php">High Scores</a> page when you're done!\r\n\r\nweak!

So, I am back in school. And taking a Java course of all things. We haven't really had class yet, but I wanted to give Java a try on my own without looking at the book or hearing the teacher teach. So I dove in and installed Netbeans and started learning the IDE. Lately, I had seen a lot of people making ASCII to Binary converts on the web, like in php or perl. So I decided to give it a try in Java. What I could have written in about 5 or so lines of PHP, took me like 35 lines in Java. So remember folks, the right tool for the right job always applies. Well I have uploaded the <a href="/files/Ascii2Binary.jar">bytecode jar</a> file and the <a href="/files/Ascii2Binary.java">source java</a> file for you java freaks out there to make fun of me with.\r\n\r\nKeep in mind, this converts ASCII !!!! to Binary, so typing in "20" will give you the binary form of 2 and 0, not the decimal 20. That kind of screwed with my head for awhile, oh well.

Took a trip down to Singapore this week. It had been 7 years since I was last there, minus the short time in Nov 2004. Things were very different. For instance I visited two of my old houses (pictures included) and they were both completely different as in re-modeled, yet still looked old. I went into Far East Plaza in search of that one pub the SAS kids used to go to, and it was gone. I went into an Orange Julius and tried to order an Ice Cappacino only to have them tell me they haven't served those in 10 years. And Planet Hollywood? GONE! The MRT lines are upgraded, and soon will go into JB. Everything is pricey. Min 90 cents to take a bus! Price of pool, about $12-$15 an hour. \r\n\r\nBut the food was excellent. I ate Sweet and Sour Pork and Gulla Malaka at Westlake on Farrer Road, Satay and Sugarcane Juice at Newton (the new one), Lots of Roti Prata and Ice Kopi Tiam, Ice Kachang, Mos Burger, Curry Chicken over Rice, Fried Kway Teow, Seasons Ice Lemon Tea, Ginger Beer, etc etc.\r\n\r\nCheck out the <a href="/gallery/sgjun06">pictures here</a>.\r\n

Ain't no way that was happening ... I am downloading Slackware 10.2, this whole debian business has got to go. I figure when it comes to the Tux, it is important to just stick with what you know. Not saying anything bad about Debian, I guess old habbits really do die hard. This July will be my 10 year anniversary for using Slack. In addition to documenting other items, I am going to document what I think Linux is lacking, reasons why I hate it and reasons to not use it. I know that sounds strange, but in an attempt to make it better, I will be heavily researching its weaknesses. Can't wait to see how the 2.6 kernel has progressed since last year!

I have gone out and done something rash. I have bit the bullet. I have done something that goes against everything I have believed in for the last 10 years. I installed Debian!!! I hate Linux, I really do! But I hate Windows even more, and I'd just like to get away from it for awhile (still have XP on my desktop, which is good cause I need it for work). I will be documenting some of the things that I think Linux needs work in, as well as getting some other newer devices working like my new Canon LiDE25 USB Scanner, Logitech USB Webcam, USB headset, etc.\r\n\r\nps. I'm not out of Slackware completely, just taking a break from it too. Btw, I bought an XBOX to be my new media server in my living room, it too will soon be running Debian, or better put, Xebian.